Heynckes could extend Bayern stay

Sammer told reporters that the Bavarian club, currently leading the Bundesliga, "are very happy with him, and I am especially".

Heynckes, 67, is in the final year of his contract and had been set to call a halt to his coaching career at the end of the season.

Names such as Pep Guardiola and Mirko Slomka had been touted as possible successors but, with Bayern playing what many in Germany believe is their best football for years, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said there is no need to start thinking about a change.

Speaking after Bayern's 6-1 hammering of Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday, Rummenigge said: "Jupp is not rushing things, and we are not rushing things," and newspaper reports have suggested that talks over a new deal for the coach could begin in March.

"Heynckes is very nice guy, who talks a lot with the players and gives them confidence," Bayern star Franck Ribery told TZ. "In my life, I have only had problems with one coach - Louis van Gaal. But now it is just perfect for me."

Arjen Robben added: "When you win, it is also the success of the coach. He does a fantastic job. The chemistry between coach and team is there 100%. If he still is fit enough, he can carry on."

Former Bayern boss Ottmar Hitzfeld has added his voice to the calls for Heynckes to stay, saying he believes there is no reason why his contract should not be extended.

Meanwhile, Bayern have announced a friendly against minor league team FC Falke Markt Schwaben next Tuesday - a match that could see the comeback of Germany international Mario Gomez, who had been sidelined since undergoing ankle surgery in August.

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has also announced that the club could bring in another major sponsor this season. The investor would get 9% of the club's shareholding and must be willing to invest "over €100 million".

The new sponsor had to be "a German company, somebody who totally identifies with the club", Hoeness said, and money brought in would help Bayern pay off their remaining stadium debts.